Dividend stocks are getting hammered, but you already know that. The public swings between “stocks will always go up” to “the sky is falling.” Reality, though, tends to take the boring middle ground. Last month, traders fretted over oil prices. Next week, they’ll obsess over China. For those new to investing, today’s problems seem like uncharted territory. None of this is new, of course. We’ve made it through recessions, world wars, and financial crises. The world isn’t going to end now.
So if we go down the dull middle path, what should you do with your money? You could do worse than income investing. If stock prices are stuck in neutral, the theory goes that dividends can still crank out decent returns. The good news? The recent drop in stock prices has turned some dividend stocks into cash machines. Here are five: Enbridge Inc (NYSE:ENB), Inter Pipeline Ltd (OTCMKT:IPPLF), Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS), Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:DUK) and International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM).